


Extrasensory

by EmeraldTulip



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gay Will Byers, Gen, M/M, Siblings Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Speculation, Will Byers Has Powers, last day before season 3!, oh and also the us government
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 04:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19456729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldTulip/pseuds/EmeraldTulip
Summary: “Mike,” Will tells him. “You need to go.” Mike opens his mouth to respond, but Will won’t have it. “You need totrust me. I know how to stop it, but you can’t be here.”“I can’t justleaveyou!” Mike protests, and Will hates the pain he sees in his best friend’s eyes.“You have to,” Will says. “And… Mike, if you don’t see me again, just know that I—”He doesn’t even know what he would have said—what he wanted to tell Mike. He never has to think about it, because he never gets to finish his sentence, because Mike kisses him.





	Extrasensory

**Author's Note:**

> last day before season 3! figured id post this little speculation fic based on trailers and stuff. I also wanted byeler, so. its probably not gonna be canon but it is right now because I said so.  
> hope y'all enjoy!

_“Just hold on a little longer, guys,”_ Dustin says through the radio. _“Just go somewhere safe until they get here.”_

“Yeah,” Will whispers into his supercomm. “I’m gonna turn this off now. Give us a sign when something happens.”

 _“Over and out,”_ Dustin acknowledges, and then static fills the room.

The rest of the Party, along with Jonathan and Nancy, are huddled in the stockroom at Scoops Ahoy—Steve had flung the keys at Mike with a simple “Stay safe, kids” as he and Dustin ran to the radio tower to call for help.

El is sitting hunched in the corner, eyes closed. Scanning. Will can feel her piercing gaze, even if she’s not actually looking at him.

“We should move,” she says, her eyelids sliding open. “Something’s coming.”

* * *

There’s a backdoor that they use, climbing down the staff-only staircase until they pop out in the breakroom on the ground floor.

“This way,” El murmurs, gesturing for them to follow her as she slowly opens the door.

The atrium appears empty, but there’s a creeping sensation on the back of Will’s neck that he doesn’t like one bit.

“There’s something wrong,” he says, and he can feel Jonathan eyeing him nervously from behind. “Don’t look at me like that,” he snaps.

Jonathan sounds taken aback. “Sorry,” he says.

Will ignores him, opting to look at El instead. “I can’t tell where it’s coming from.”

“Me neither,” she agrees worriedly. “It almost feels like it’s—”

“—all around us,” Will finishes. “Yeah.” He lets his pinky tap nervously against her wrist for a moment, and she gets the suggestion.

They both venture forward, and though Will doesn’t know how El’s powers work, he himself can feel cold pockets in the air.

Mike clears his throat. “Guys—”

Before Will can shush him, the hairs on the back of his neck stick up. There’s something above them—and as soon as the rest of them seem to notice, start looking up, he feels a chill run down his spine. “Move!” he shouts, and he flings an arm out.

The glass ceiling above them shatters, raining shards down, and everyone scatters. El and Will’s outstretched hands divert the falling pieces, sending them smashing to the ground around them.

Looking around, Will can see that the group has been separated—Jonathan, Nancy, and Lucas are pressed against a model car, while Mike and Max are hiding behind a ledge near the stairs.

 _Split up,_ he says to El. _Protect them._

She nods and darts over to Max and Mike. Will starts to head over to the car, but freezes mid-step when a growl behind him causes goosebumps to rise across his exposed skin.

 _Will,_ El whispers, even though her volume wouldn’t make a difference since it’s all mental. _Don’t look now, but the monster that’s been sucking people up is behind you._

The monster doesn’t have very good eyesight, they’ve figured out. But Will knows that if he moves, he’ll be spotted instantly. Unless—

He closes his eyes and takes a breath, letting air fill his lungs and oxygen travel to his brain. On the out breath, he unclenches his fists and takes a slow step forward.

El doesn’t say anything this time, but her confusion and fear is evident. Will just sends her the equivalent of a reassuring glance.

One step at a time, with shadows muffling his footsteps and masking his outline, he finally makes it to the car and collapses, pressing his back to the car beside his brother.

The monster is still on the prowl—Will can see El peeking around the side of the ledge she’s using as a shield.

 _What do we do?_ he asks.

 _Wait for Dustin’s signal,_ she replies helplessly.

As if on cue, a spotlight activates from somewhere far above, and Will senses the shots being fired before they even happen.

“The government’s here!” he shouts, and as the bullets rain down the Party all covers their ears.

Abruptly, the firing stops.

“Is it… dead?” Nancy whispers.

Across the atrium, El slowly stands, peering over the ledge. Will can’t see what she’s looking at, but she looks… wary.

 _I don’t think it’s dead,_ she tells Will. _But it’s stunned—for now._

“Jonathan,” Will says, making a split-second decision. “I need you and Nancy to get Mike, Max, and Lucas out of the building. Go find Dustin and Steve.”

Lucas splutters from Jonathan’s other side. “Wh—no! What are you going to do?”

“El has to stay to deal with the monster,” Will spits frustratedly. “I’m going to help her.”

“Will, you _can’t_ ,” Jonathan says, and he sounds desperate. “You’re—you’re not _like_ El, you need to come too!”

And, god, if Will isn’t tired of hearing people tell him what he can’t do. “I’m not like El,” he acknowledges. “You’re right. But I have something else that none of you don’t, and that’s experience with this monster.” He fixes his brother with a glare. “So get them all out of here, before it wakes up.”

Jonathan bites the inside of his cheek, but he takes Nancy’s hand anyway. “Stay alive,” he tells Will, and Will is just glad he doesn’t say _stay safe_ because he would break that promise instantly.

 _Send Max and Mike over,_ he tells El, and he sees her obey.

Jonathan, Nancy, and Lucas break for the back staircase, and Will watches them go. Max and Mike scurry over moments later—but when Max bolts after the group, Mike doesn’t follow her.

“Mike, you gotta get out of here,” Will frowns.

Mike frowns right back at him. “What about you?”

Will sighs frustratedly. “I have to help El, but I need to know that the rest of you are _safe_. Come on, Mike, _go_.”

Mike—brave, chivalrous, idiot Mike—shakes his head staunchly. “Not without you.”

“Will!” El yells, and Will whips around to look at her instantly.

The monster has rolled back onto its feet and seems to be regaining its senses. Will can feel the tensions rising in the helicopters above—they have ammunition, but they’re not sure how much it’ll help.

“Mike, you _have_ to get out of here!” Will exclaims, pushing Mike toward the door himself.

“ _Will_!” El screams, loud and shrill, and Will turns just in time to see the monster lunge at her. She manages to block it and push it backwards, but it recovers in seconds.

It lunges again, and El’s arms both come up in front of her as she _howls_ , all the air expelled from her body.

Mike is frozen next to him, Will can feel. He doesn’t know what to do.

There’s a tingle up his spine, suddenly, and he knows that the helicopter is about to fire again.

El flings herself to the side as more bullets hit the floor, leaving deep chips and grooves in the stone. As soon as the shooting stops, she’s back on her feet, and with a primal yell, she launches the monster across the room.

He can hear Mike’s breath as it catches in his throat, and Will’s brain just about short-circuits when he feels Mike’s fingers grab his own.

“She can’t keep this up forever,” Mike says softly, and Will knows he’s right.

Will knows he’s right, because he’s dreamt of this exact scene playing out in front of him. It’s the real reason he stayed behind—because the shadows crawling around the creases in his brain whisper promises of power.

“Mike,” Will tells him. “You need to go.” Mike opens his mouth to respond, but Will won’t have it. “You need to _trust me_. I know how to stop it, but you can’t be here.”

“I can’t just _leave_ you!” Mike protests, and Will hates the pain he sees in his best friend’s eyes.

“You have to,” Will says. “And…” He almost can’t bring himself to say the next words. “If something goes wrong—tell everyone that I’m sorry. Mike, you _have_ to know that I’m sorry.”

“Will—”

“ _Promise me_ ,” he insists, and Mike breathes. “Promise you’ll tell them.”

Mike blinks, hard. “I promise.”

Will nods uselessly. “You have to go.” He pushes Mike away from the monster, away from El, away from the shattered glass. “Mike, if you don’t see me again, just know that I—”

He doesn’t even know what he would have said—what he wanted to tell Mike. He never has to think about it, because he never gets to finish his sentence, because Mike kisses him.

Will knows it only lasts a few seconds, but in the moment, he tries to slow down. It’s their first kiss. Maybe not for Mike, but it is for Will, and it’s their first _together_. Will won’t lie, he’s thought about it, but this is so much better than whatever _sparks_ or _fireworks_ he’d been imagining because this is _real_. If this is his last memory of Mike—it’s torture, but also the best moment of his life.

All too soon, Mike pulls away.

“Sorry,” he says. “I had to. Just once.” He takes a step back, letting his hand fall from Will’s grasp, but Will isn’t offended because Mike’s emotions have always been worn on his sleeve. His face is easy to read: he’s distraught.

And really, who could blame him? His ex-girlfriend _and_ his best friend who he just kissed have made it quite clear that there’s a chance they aren’t coming home.

“I gotta go,” Will says numbly, and his voice feels so far away.

Mike swallows. “I know.”

“Just so you know,” Will blurts out, before he loses his nerve. “The—you know. That? What you did?” He doesn’t know how else to say, _when you kissed me_. He knows Mike understands. “Me, too.”

Mike just smiles at him crookedly before turning and running.

“Bye, Mike,” Will whispers to his retreating figure.

He squeezes his eyes shut, and as El’s rage pummels the monster, he thinks of shadows.

* * *

(It’s only later, when he and El are curled up against each other on the floor of one of the helicopters, that he fully processes everything that’s happened.

 _He kissed me,_ he tells El, because there’s no way he’s going to risk saying it out loud when they’re surrounded by soldiers but he _has_ to tell her.

 _I know,_ she responds. Her eyes meet his—brown and green. _We won’t see him again._

Will knows. Because these people, these _officials_ —they’ve seen what he and El can do. And they are only going to let their family go if he and El play their game.

 _We didn’t even get to say goodbye,_ he says bitterly. He’d hugged his mother, and it had been an entirely too short hug before men in battle gear tugged him off of her. He’d spotted a glimpse of Mike across the lot, but the soldiers had escorted him and El away within seconds.

 _I know,_ she says again. _Maybe it’s better that way._

And, _god_ , that makes him so angry. Because she’s right. Saying goodbye would have made it so much harder.

 _At least we have each other,_ she says after a moment. _We’re in this together._

Will blinks away tears, choosing to squeeze her hand tightly and ignore the fact that her hand feels so different from Mike’s.

All he has left is El.

 _Yeah,_ he agrees, because he’s so glad that he isn’t alone. _Together._ )

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are, as always, appreciated.  
> find me on tumblr, my main is [@willelbyers](https://willelbyers.tumblr.com) and my writing blog is [@lowriting](https://lowriting.tumblr.com)!


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